The Team
by BellatrixLestrangey
Summary: Azula Week Day 2: Athlete. Azula, a nerd, contemplates joining a sport.


I see so many fics where Azula is the popular athlete (ya know, 'cause that actually makes sense lol). So here, have a fic where Azula is a fukkin' nerd instead.

* * *

She wishes that she were an athlete.

Maybe then they'd like her more.

If she could bench press her own weight or outrun the average person. If she could catch a basketball with ease or hit a tennis ball over a net.

Such isn't her strong suit. What she can do is debate with words heavy enough to make a person think a hour or so after the tournament finishes and finish a test with a speed to match the school's strongest trackstar. She can catch the subtle subtext in a novel and deflect misinformation with little trouble.

But these aren't the skills that win social points. In fact, they rather hate her for her intelligence. She supposes that it doesn't matter, she can ignore them for the most part. And for the most part they just ignore her. Typically she works alone during partner activities and is only spoken to if the group next to her is stuck on a particularly difficult question. She sits alone at lunch.

She doesn't mind it.

It has been that way for as long as she can remember.

But she has a sneaking suspicion that if her father didn't have an excess of cash that she'd be on the receiving end of the teasing offered to kids like Aang.

Or maybe it is Zuko. He has a reputation for stirring up trouble and practically has a reserved V.I.P. chair in the detention all. They use to beat on him and degrade him until he lit a cigarette, drew his hood over his head, and started fighting back.

Not many people bothered him after that.

Not many people bother her.

Still, on the odd occasion that she does find herself the subject of harassment, she wishes that she had the athletic skills of Suki, the star of the soccer team or the energy and spirit of TyLee and her cheer squad.

Unlike TyLee, she doesn't want these skills to attract the attention of Chan nor Sokka. Nor any of them really. She just want the chance to dodge an unkind word or two. And those come aplenty.

Enough for her to grow used to being called a dork or a dweeb among other things. She can't particularly disagree with them; she fits the stereotype. Ridiculously smart, yet horribly incompetent at a social funnctioning.

She isn't unpleasant to look at; her skin is smooth and free of blemish and her hair is styled nicely. But she is on the lanky side with glasses she thought looked nice until a few nasty comments in. She tries not to wear them if she can avoid it, but thanks to her father's genetics, her eyesight is rather poor. Too poor to avoid using the glasses. She had, on one occasion, considered contacts. Though, after a spat with an eye infection, went back to the glasses. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons sports don't come easily to her. If her depth perception is off and she can't gauge the distance of a ball, how is she supposed to catch or hit it?

It has nothing to do with a lack of balance or skill, Azula realizes. But a lack of practice and perpetually blurry vision.

She holds her lunch tray and thinks of setting it down by TyLee, but the rest of the cheer team off puts her. Even if it didn't, things haven't been the same between the two of them since she joined the squad. TyLee had tossed the honors program and her studies aside for ditzy trips to the mall.

She has changed too much.

Part of Azula wishes that she had been the one to do so.

The same part of her that craved even a moment of popularity. Or at least a break from the verbal harassment.

She sets her tray onto the table and waits for Chan or one of his jock friends to start in on the false invites to the upcoming homecoming dance. Even if they were real, she'd never accept them. The lot of them are too dull in the head for her tastes.

Azula finishes her meal and then makes her way towards the tables advertising this year's extracurriculars. Impulse carries her to the debate team and the science clubs. Like the school sports, the debate team is a seasonal commitment. She signs herself up. The team won't start until winter hits, so she will fill her excess time with either astronomy or botany. She had part-taken in the literature clubs last year and the history clubs the year before that. This year it is time for science.

She spares an almost longing glance to the athletics table. Before she can stop herself, she wanders over. Cue a round of snickering and snide remarks. She ignores them and ponders which sport she might have the best shot at. The dance team might work, she is the graceful sort and it would be easy to keep her glasses on. She looks at the date and mournfully accepts that they conflict with the debate team which takes precedence. She sighs.

"The swim team is looking for more members." Calls a voice.

Azula isn't much of a water person, but she supposes that she has the coordination to execute a proper stroke. "I've never swam competitively…"

The girl, who she recognizes as Sokka's shier, borderline nerdy sister, shrugs. Azula isn't sure why she hasn't tried to talking to the girl before, they have the same love of achademia. They are both on the honor program. Katara is on the student council-the one Azula would have joined had she not chosen other extra curriculars. They have similar interests and social lives. She supposes that their paths simply never crossed.

Katara pulls Azula out of her musings, "we don't mind training someone from the ground up." She pauses. "We never have enough members." She slids Azula a signup form. "Think about it, okay?"

She supposes that she will.

She takes the form and looks it over.

The dates work seamlessly. She'd even be able to fit a science club or two.

Azula gives another moment's hesitation before signing her name and handing it back to Katara. She supposes that this autumn will be an interesting one.


End file.
